Aboriginal Youth

Aboriginal people represent less than 3% of the total population in BC. Yet, they account for more than 9% of all suicides in BC (Chandler). The numbers of suicides amongst aboriginal youth are even more alarming – nearly one-fourth of all youth suicides in BC are committed by aboriginals and more than half of all aboriginal suicides are committed by youth (Chandler). The fact that indigenous communities in Canada have the highest rate of suicide of any culturally identifiable group in the world implies that these alarming statistics may not solely be a result of aboriginal communities belonging to a minority cultural group. I will attempt to build a speculative hypothesis behind the significantly high suicide rates amongst aboriginal

For many survivors of residential schools, alcohol has become a solution to escape their past. However, over 50% of Indigenous peoples are alcoholics. This poses a threat in their health (mentally and physically) as well as their influences on their children. Valuable parenting skills and transmission of language and culture have been lost from removing the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children from their parents, for extended periods of time. Many Aboriginal people now do not speak their traditional language currently, and lost their cultures. Parents who experienced abusive behaviours from residential schools now pass their abuse and trauma to their children. There are high levels of self-abuse, caused by the sense of worthlessness that teachers taught students at residential schools. This impacts Aboriginal communities greatly, even after so many years. First Nations women attempt suicide eight more times than other Canadian women, and First Nations men attempt suicide five more times than other Canadian men. All of these long-term impacts are still present today, caused by Indian Residential

Seeing that youth suicide rates amongst Aboriginal youth are five to seven times higher than non-Aboriginal youth, and Inuit youth are among the highest in the world, at 11 times the national average, there are several contributing attributes that should be further researched. (Health Canada, 2013) One of the contributing factors that are discussed in many Aboriginal courses is that of identity. Aboriginal youth who face high levels of intergenerational trauma due to the RS system often find themselves distanced from Aboriginal culture, without their mother tongue, and western culture. This alongside the negative portrayals of Indigenous peoples within media many times go much deeper to factors beyond an individual 's control and end up as a common root cause of suicide. One way for the federal government can combat this particular factor is through the emplacement of acknowledgment initiatives. Trying to reduce negative stigmas and stereotypes as well, to educate, can help promote healthy self-esteem and confidence levels within Aboriginal youth and result in the prevention of high suicide levels amongst Aboriginal youth. (CITE)

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experience social disadvantages which significantly impacts their physical, psychological, emotional, spiritual and social health. This essay analyses the impacts of the social determinants of health such as socioeconomic status, early life and psychological distress to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health which causes the wide gap in the social disadvantages experienced by the Indigenous community.

“Thousands of Canada’s Aboriginal children died in Residential Schools that failed to keep them safe from fires, protected from abusers, and healthy from deadly disease” (Kennedy). “Residential Schools were government-sponsored religious schools established to assimilate Aboriginal Children into Euro-Canadian culture” (Miller). There were approximately 130 schools in every province and territory with the exception of Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick all with an estimated 150,000 attendees, segregated by gender (CBC News). Residential schooling caused tension as well as intergenerational suffering among native communities in Canada. Acts of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse support the tragedies in Canadian

Aboriginal communities also face significantly higher incarceration rates, higher rates of HIV infection, and higher suicide rates amongst young adults and youth when compared to their non-Aboriginal counterparts (Gray, 2011). Violent sexual assault rates for Aboriginal women and girls are nearly three times that of non-Aboriginals and statistics on food security for Aboriginals living both on and off reserve land suggest that a startling 83% of individuals go without adequate nutrition, with Aboriginal children suffering disproportionately from malnutrition and other nutrition related health problems (Gray, 2011). Unfortunately, it is Aboriginal children and youth under the age of 14 who are particularly at-risk for nearly all areas of social deficit in Canada (Meissner,

The findings of this study indicated that professionals working with Aboriginal children and adolescents need to be conscious of the importance of family and identity. Furthermore, it is critical that improvements are made to accessibility of mental health services for Aboriginal children, adolescents and their families as well as a more holistic approach being taken towards addressing mental health needs.

In a national context, Indigenous suicide has increased drastically especially among among youth aged 10 – 24 years, arising from 10% in 1991 to 80% in 2010 (National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation.

Suicide prevention is an important topic to be discussed in academia as suicide has become a big social problem affecting the lives of the individual and the surrounding people. Suicide can be looked as an act of selfishness, consequently leaves perplexity among family and friends, but from a sociological perspective, it is a multifaceted issue. The article from the Current, brought into light how the Indigenous community Canada have higher rates of suicide compared to the general population, especially amongst the youth. The feeling of anomie and experience of racism puts immense stress on aboriginal youths, and this experience is replicated in the sociological imagination of the history and biography of Indigenous people.

Aboriginal Affairs Minister Eric Robinson says that the prevalence of suicide in the community stems from "poverty, overcrowded housing and past abuse." These ongoing issues create such hopelessness that suicide seems like the only option.

Some of the critical factors likely to affect the futures of Aboriginal children and thus the Aboriginal population are climate change, educational systems, health care systems, and discrimination and social exclusion.

The Indigenous youth is one of the many vulnerable populations in Australia this is due to multiple reasons such as a higher risk of poor health outcomes and inadequate care for a number of reasons for example the stolen generation and the government policy as well as the location, Indigenous youth have an increased chance of imprisonment in the past present and future due to not having higher education (not completing year 12), which is illustrated in the Australian bureau of statistics and the (National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey “Aboriginal people are more likely to have been imprisoned if they had not completed Year 12 education, were unemployed, experienced financial stress, lived in crowded conditions, were

The film Invictus tells the true story of Nelson Mandela's leadership of South Africa that led to the South African rugby team, the Springboks, to win the World Cup in 1995. The movie begins after Mandela is released from prison and becomes elected as the President of South Africa. It follows Mandela's strategic and political decisions to unite his country and inspire the people of South Africa through forgiveness and understanding. He recognizes how difficult forgiveness can be, especially after all the opportunities that were denied from the Blacks. However, he understands how necessary forgiveness is given the nature of the country's social and political climate; South Africa was on the verge of civil war. The theme of forgiveness and compassion towards the Afrikaners was evident throughout the movie, especially towards Mandela's decisions and actions. While the movie ends with a win for South Africa and a brief unity and happiness among all South Africans, it does portray this notion that in order for non-white anti-apartheid activists to be successful, they must be forgiving and understanding of their oppressors as well as de-radicalize Mandela as a figure. Additionally, it simplifies the complications of trying to unite South Africa post-apartheid.

Nelson Mandela was a ‘defiant’ man, he stood his ground, and never withdrew his beliefs. He stuck straight with his plan to bring unity in a separated South Africa. He used sport to bridge the gap between the black and white South Africans, as well as establishing his country’s brand internationally. When questioned on his ambiguous plan to revive a broken nation, he stood firm, ‘the day I am afraid to do that, is the day I am no longer fit to lead’ he quoted. President Mandela describes that to unite the nation; forgiveness to those who had previously done wrong by him is necessary and uses the decision to not decimate the Springboks National Rugby team as a physical representation of this forgiveness; ‘forgiveness liberates the soul. It removes fear. That is why it is such a powerful weapon’, he quoted. Nelson Mandela, in the film Invictus, showed the nation of South Africa how some things have to be sacrificed for the greater good of the

In this assignment I will be focusing on the challenges that indigenous youth are face with everyday, I will apply the key skills of social inquiry to investigate how Indigenous teens continue to be affected by connected and interdependent to both a dominant white culture and indigenous culture. 97% of aboriginal teens experience racism, which leads to abuse of drugs and alcohol and high rates of not only teen, but adult suicide. We also had a quest speaker who was Cara O’Donnell who is an indigenous support worker in Victor Harbor High school. Cara spoke about the topics of Loss of culture, connection to the country, the mental health issues in indigenous youth and adults and the loss of self dignity. Cara also spoke about the personal impact